Micah 6:8 – Played Backwards
Last week a friend invited me to her house to watch a simulcast hosted by Whitworth University with David French, a New York Times columnist.[1] The conversation intended to “help the campus and local community engage in critical thinking and civil discourse in anticipation of the 2024 elections.”[2] I enjoy David French, with his unique world view and so I was happy to attend and to join in on the lively conversation we had following the simulcast. One of the takeaways I have been ruminating over since that evening was a final thought French shared. He was asked about what we should be looking for in a leader for our country, and he immediately referenced Micah 6:8:
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Before the dust could settle on his mentioning that well-known verse, he challenged the audience to work it in reverse. To start with humility, moving to kindness and then (only then) to exercise justice. Next, he described humility as curiosity. We have been talking in this program about curiosity and the connection between curiosity and academia. I love how French has taken this concept and applied it to Leadership.
According to French, being a good leader starts with humility which itself starts with curiosity.
Jump to this week as I listened to a conversation with Ed and Peter Schein on the day their book Humble Leadership[3] was originally released, six years ago.[4] As is so often the case, listening to these authors talk about their book provided depth to the intention behind their work and the themes they thought were most relevant. That discussion largely shaped how I approached the book. To start to understand their work, it is important to be familiar with Schein and Schein’s earlier work on relationship levels. Here is a quick overview:
Level Minus 1- Negative relationships: most scenarios in the workplace do not follow this model, which is best described as the subordinate having no power and the leader having ultimate power.
Level 1- Transactional relationships: This is the model that most traditional leaders are used to functioning within and is empowered by a strong reliance on roles and rules
Level 2- Whole-person relationships: reliant on a team-based approach that is collaborative.
Level 3- Intimate relationships: requires a mutual commitment, and is most often associated with marriages [5]
Schein and Schein propose that many modern-day work scenarios would benefit by progressing to a deeper relational level, engaging in level 2 and even sometimes level 3 relationships. This analysis of the nature of our team relationships resonates with me and has presented some compelling reasoning that I would like to share with our leadership teams, when the opportunity presents itself:
Traditional Models of Leadership Will Not Get Us Through VUCA Problems[6]
Problems that are Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA problems) seem to be the majority of problems that cross my desk these days. Schein and Schein assert that the traditional approach of transactional leadership is not what is needed to get the innovative and creative feedback required for groups to move in these difficult spaces.
Humble Leadership is a Group Act
By focusing on humility, Schein and Schein are giving leaders the freedom to not be the smartest people in the room,[7] but to instead focus the leadership activities on generating the curiosity and dialogue needed to get a team of experts to deliver innovative and transformational solutions. This idea seems to gel well with Daniel Pink’s theory of motivation[8] where he asserts that highly skilled workers will actually be demotivated by a carrot and stick approach (read level 1) but are rather best engaged by giving them the opportunity to work within the elements of mastery, autonomy and purpose.
Our Teams Require Relational Investments
It is not a surprise that the more we invest in those who report to us, the stronger the team will become. However, Schein and Schein drive to specifics with their concepts of Personalization, and also Rapid Personalization[9] could prove to be a key differentiator for leaders needing to establish trust as well as understanding the skills an abilities of a dynamic team environment.
It All Comes Back to Humility
Models are just ideas, and I tend to not over invest in them. There are after all, usually multiple ways to approach things. However, it seems I may have drunk the Humble Leadership Kool-Aid. In considering the foundations of Schein and Schein’s model, I am struck by the truism that “what got me here will not necessarily get me there.” Whether we are sizing up the abilities of potential leaders of our country, or strategizing on how to lead our own teams through the VUCA problems ahead, I do not see a downside for intentionally investing in the relationships of the team; curiously approaching engagement from a standpoint of “how can I best equip our team to use their skills, talents and giftings to build new solutions for problems we have never seen before? Going back to Micah 6:8- why would we not want to lead with humble curiosity, moving with compassion to bring justice to our world?
_________________________________
[1] David French lecture to Whitworth Alumni, Teams Live Meeting, October 15, 2024.
[2] “Election Year Speaker Series with David French,” accessed October 20, 2024, https://connect.whitworth.edu/s/1619/index.aspx?sid=1619&gid=1&pgid=3954&cid=8836&ecid=8836&crid=0&calpgid=708&calcid=2093.
[3] Edgar H. Schein and Peter A. Schein, Humble Leadership, Second Edition : The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust, Second Edition, The Humble Leadership Series (Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2023), https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=cfcf765a-0126-3f66-83ab-2b2883d96624.
[4] Humble Leadership with Ed and Peter Schein, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc-Ngt-lnVg.
[5] Schein and Schein, Humble Leadership, Second Edition, 15.
[6] Schein and Schein, Humble Leadership, Second Edition.
[7] Humble Leadership with Ed and Peter Schein.
[8] Daniel H. Pink, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, 1st edition (New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 2009).
[9] Schein and Schein, Humble Leadership, Second Edition, 122.
About the Author
Jennifer Vernam
5 responses to “Micah 6:8 – Played Backwards”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Jen,
Thank you for sharing David French’s thoughts on Micah 6:8. A powerful moment, I am sure! I love the thought of defining humility as curiosity. If you truly believe you can always learn something, the defenses come down. But I’ve been pondering on what it truly means to “walk humbly with your God.” The word “with” seems to show us accompanying God on the journey but with a humble stance. Just thinking out loud. Regardless, quoting that last line first puts things into perspective. By the way, how might you use the principles of Humble Leadership to inform your project?
Hi Jennifer,
You wrote, “how can I best equip our team to use their skills, talents and giftings to build new solutions for problems we have never seen before?”
This resonates with me as I am working with young adults who are so distinctly different, but have the same goal of ministering to those in Ukraine.
Humble leadership/Servant Leadership, somehow I am connecting the two. Add a return to Team Leadership. (Tammy spoke about polycentric leadership to me at the advance & I am hearkening back to Northouse and his chapter on Team leadership.)
More collaborative!
The coach I am using this semester is all about team leadership and particularly an identification of the “six Geniuses.”
ChatGPT summarizes.
The “Six Geniuses” often refer to a framework developed by **Geniuses at Work**, a concept popularized by the author and speaker, **Dr. G. L. L. Silva**. This framework identifies six distinct ways of thinking and problem-solving that individuals can embody. Here’s a brief description of each:
1. **The Genius of Wonder**: This genius is characterized by curiosity and the ability to ask insightful questions. People with this genius often explore possibilities and envision what could be, driving innovation and creativity.
2. **The Genius of Discernment**: Individuals embodying this genius possess strong intuition and judgment. They are skilled at analyzing situations, understanding nuances, and making decisions based on deep insights and instinct.
3. **The Genius of Completion**: This genius focuses on execution and the ability to bring projects to fruition. These individuals excel at organizing, managing details, and ensuring that tasks are completed on time and to a high standard.
4. **The Genius of Galvanization**: Those with this genius have a natural ability to inspire and rally others around a cause. They are persuasive communicators and leaders who can mobilize teams and encourage collaboration.
5. **The Genius of Enablement**: This genius is marked by a supportive and nurturing approach. Individuals embodying this genius excel at empowering others, providing encouragement, and fostering an environment where others can thrive.
6. **The Genius of Activation**: This genius is characterized by action-oriented thinking. People with this genius are proactive, always looking to take initiative and implement ideas quickly.
Together, these geniuses represent different strengths and approaches that can enhance teamwork and problem-solving in various contexts. Understanding and leveraging these different genius types can lead to more effective collaboration and innovative outcomes.
Too much?
Anyway, it sort of speaks to diving into relationships and understanding the team (their strengths an weaknesses).
Pam Lau spoke about the root word of humble to be found in humus, or dirt.
As a gardener this has special meaning for me since I am constantly evaluating soil and trying to amend them for better plant growth….but I digress.
For the non Christian writers of this book, I imagine
they are moving towards polycentric leadership and perhaps have never heard of Jesus’ servant leadership.
Shalom.
Wonderful post!
You said, “Models are just ideas, and I tend to not over invest in them. There are after all, usually multiple ways to approach things. However, it seems I may have drunk the Humble Leadership Kool-Aid.”
I agree with our over-dependence upon models. When I was a much younger senior pastor, my staff used to get scared when I came home from a convention or workshop that I would turn the whole church ship on a dime. Thankfully, I stopped I’m so much older and wiser now! Ha!
Actually, I don’t swallow many models, but I do try to keep things simple, clear, and engaging. I try to lead humbly, honestly, and biblically. Very few (if any) tricks and gimmics. Humility really is a good way to lead and live.
You say you drank the kool-aid. How so? I enjoyed the book, but didn’t find much that I would model after, other than the obvious desire to lead with humility.
Thanks Jen…a great summary of the book while weaving in your own interaction with it’s content! Towards the end of your post you state what I think the real nugget of this book is: good leadership is fundamentally about healthy relationships. Leadership certainly involves other important skills (note: I protest the authors hijacking the true meaning of humility and naming it a ‘skill’!)…but most of the other important skills that a leader might possess cannot be meaningfully experienced by the team if there’s not healthy relationships between leader and those being led….and I’m not sure there’s a better characteristic that facilitates good relationships than genuine humility.
Come on, Jennifer! OH! MY! I deeply loved your blog but what hit me like a ton of books is when you wrote, “how can I best equip our team to use their skills, talents and giftings to build new solutions for problems we have never seen before?” I am going to place this question in a place I will see it often. It will definitely guide my leadership. Thank you soooo much for your well thought through posts and your thought provoking questions. YOU. ARE. A. GEM!